Last week, the anime series Dragon Ball Daima sent shockwaves through the internet by officially recognizing one of Goku’s long-forgotten transformations, Super Saiyan 4. Although fans were only given a brief glimpse of Goku showcasing his ape-like muscles before villain King Gomah reversed the transformation, the latest episode in Daima‘s final stretch revisited this plot point and delivered the transformations that fans had been eagerly anticipating.

The surprise twist in Daima‘s 18th episode left fans stunned, not once but twice. The series revisited the premise of Dragon Ball GT and brought back its most memorable moment, and it also threw a curveball into the series’ canon, leaving fans wondering where Daima (and by extension GT) fits into the overall narrative. The 19th episode, seemingly anticipating fans’ disappointment at the transformation of Goku and his crew into children to level the playing field, rectified this issue by having henchman Glorio betray King Gomah and summon Shenron to turn the Z-fighters back into adults.

In the episode aptly titled “Betrayal,” King Gomah, who had wished for Goku and his crew to become children to facilitate his evil plans, still believes they will be no match for him despite their return to adulthood. Predictably, Goku and his crew are not intimidated, and they decide to switch things up by having Vegeta take on King Gomah, given that he had already gotten his turn to fight him in the previous episode.

As is typical in the Dragon Ball series, Vegeta’s attempt to one-up Goku ultimately falls short, despite his achievements, including reaching Super Saiyan 3 in Daima. The battle inevitably returns to Goku facing off against King Gomah. Although Vegeta’s efforts are admirable, the audience is rewarded with a consolation prize: a glimpse of his adult Super Saiyan 3 form, which adds to the excitement before the episode shifts back to Goku’s showdown.

Following a humorous ultimatum from Bulma, who threatens to never bathe with Vegeta again if he prevents others from fighting alongside him, Vegeta puts his pride aside and tags Goku and Piccolo into the battle. Unlike in GT, where Goku’s transformation into Super Saiyan 4 was facilitated by having his tail pulled out, in Daima, Goku simply powers up and transforms. This time, however, he does so with flair, treating King Gomah to a showcase of all his Super Saiyan transformations before ripping off his shirt and transforming into Super Saiyan 4. Fans were given an extended look at Super Saiyan 4 Goku before the episode ended.

As mentioned in our previous article on Daima, Goku’s new Super Saiyan 4 form was designed by the late creator Akira Toriyama. In past interviews, the anime’s producer highlighted Toriyama’s significant involvement in Daima‘s production, including designing characters, vehicles, and story beats. While some may prefer the original Super Saiyan 4 design from GT, created by Toei animator Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru, it’s clear that Toriyama saw little need to deviate from his version of Super Saiyan 4, aside from altering Goku’s hair color. As a final gesture to the fandom, Toriyama’s work on Daima, combined with his inadvertent farewell in the Dragon Ball Super manga, serves as a fitting posthumous goodbye.

Given that Daima is scheduled to be 20 episodes long, it’s unlikely that the show can surpass its current fanservice achievements, including Super Saiyan 3 Vegeta and Super Saiyan 4 Goku, which are moments fans thought would never happen or happen again. However, considering the show’s history of surprises, it’s possible that more exciting developments are in store for the finale.

Dragon Ball Daima can be streamed on Crunchyroll, Hulu, and Netflix.

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